Vegetation ckoppek



Feb. 3, 1931. J. K. MlLLEN VEGETATION CHOPPER Filed Sept. 4. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A'l TORNEV 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JJMZW .NVENTOR J ly. 4/.

ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 3, 1931 UNETE JAMES K. MILLEN, or LOMZBARDY, MIssIssIrrI VEGETATION CHOPPER Application filed September 4, 1929; Serial No.390 ,31'5.

This invention relates to agricultural implements, and-its QBDQIQlObjQCt is to provide a chopper primarily designed for row crops, that is in the nature of hoe by motive power means, but can b controlled in accordance with the operators desire to chop and remove vegetation and the like in accordance wit the growth thereof: with respect to the rows. 4 j

A further object of the invention is to provide a vegetation chopper, weeder or the like, that is carried and operated by a tractor, which includes means for carrying the operators of the chopper or choppers as the case may be.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vegetation chopperincluding ground penetrating means that are capable of being a manually controlled laterally, forwardly, rearwardly and vertically without retardingthe rotative speed-thereof. p

A still further object of theinvention is to provide a machine of the characterset' forth that is capable of weeding and chopping vegetation as well" as to cultivate the soil in an easyiandexpeditious manner, with Q the result maximum acreage can be covered with minimum time and with minimum labor and workmen. Another object-of the invention is to provide a chopper that is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture andinsta'll, and extremely etficient in operation and service;

This'i'nv'entionalso consists in certain other features of construction and in the combina'-'-- tion andarrangement of the several parts," to be hereinafter-fully described,illustrated"' in the accompanying drawings and specifi cally pointed'out in the appended claims.

In describing my inventionin detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings whereinlike characters denotelike or correspondin parts throughout the several views, and-in which: 7

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating my chopper applied to tractor and. with respectto a growing crop.

Figure 2 is a top plan view.

Figure-3 is a sectional view taken approxis actuated e manually matelyfon line 3-3 of F v igure 1, looking in the direct-ion of the arrows. V

Figure 4 IS a sectionalview taken approximately on line 4-4 of Figure 3, looking'in the'direction'of the arrows; v I

Referring-to the drawings ii'i d-etaiL'th'e let ter'A indicates a tractor which of'cour'se" maybe of any type but is shown as a draw bar B which has fixed th extending rearwardly therefrom-an auxiliary draw bar 1 that is substantially U-s formation as best shown inFigure 2.

The cross members of'th including eret'oand hape in e draw bars 13' and I 1 provide supporting m e'ans' -for the nemeo're" my invention, and this frame includes side pieces 2 having ears 3 formed at the lower ends thereof for the purpose of acco nmo' dating boltand nut connections-4 to secure the frame with respect It will be noted that laterally upon the dr Figure 2 and by this -a apparent that another in parallelism therewith if desired any number of my devices may be associated with a tractor to b without departing invention.

The side pieces "2 are provided at "their rpper ends 'with'inwardly turned confront ng flanges 5 that have secured v centrally thereof bearing blocks '6 within which 1 are -jour'n'aled the "ends' er assert-v, the bearing blocks oil receiving openings therein; whereby 7 the shaft may be properly lubri'cated; shaft has formed centrally-thereof 8 which has formed' with its outer gears 99. g I

' Transversing the side" piec'es is 'across member 10 having secure to the draw bars. the frame is disposed The pulley aw bars as shown in rrang'ement; it will be frame may be secured" in facia thereto and" including stra'ps having ell 1S bG Vl H a d thereto bearing blocks 11 within'which are"journale'd stub shafts 12, the latter havi their upper ends pi'nions 13, the bevel gears 9.

The lower are reduced to provide" shoulders "at per portions thereoffand these shoulders are received by the bearing ;b-locks ll as shownl' The lower ends of the stub shafts are forked ng formed with which mesh with portions of the *stub shafts-" 12 the unintermediate shafts, but in order to normally hold the cylinders in the position as shown in Figure 3, I employ coil springs 20 that surround the intermediate shafts and have their end convolutions bearing against the upper cap members and the heads 18.

Formed with the upper ends of shanks 21 are heads 22 which are received in the lower cap members, and the lower ends of these shanks 21 have secured thereto in any .well known manner and for detachment therefrom if desired, ground penetrating members 23 in the form of propellers and which act in the nature of hoes for breaking up the soil as well as chopping and weeding the growth of vegetation as will be apparent. These ground penetrating members 23'each include a pair of oppositely disposed blades that are curved upon themselves, and are provided with a fiat blade edge 24. The blade of the ground penetrating members incline upwardly from the edge thereof and the rear edges of the blades are reinforced by beads. By this construction, it will be apparent that the blade edge will chop, and remove vegetation and the like from the soil and due to the inclined blade portions, these members will pick up the soil and throw the same and vegetation between the rows instead of leaving the same in the middle thereof as is customarily done with implements of this character now in general use.

Secured to the shanks 21 are collars 25 and supported by these collars 25 are sleeves 26 which act in the form of hand grips whereby the operator of the ground penetrating members can grasp the same for movement in accordance with his desires, as it will be apparent that the ground penetrating members can be disposed laterally, forwardly, rearwardly and vertically, due to the universal joints 14C and the sliding connection of the cylinders with respect to the intermediate shafts.

Secured to the draw bar 1 and extending rearwardly therefrom is the supporting member 27 of the operators seat 28 and by this arrangement, the operator of the ground penetrating members will be conveniently seated whereby the members can be easily and expeditiously operated with respect to the rows and in a manner as above set forth.

The ground penetrating members are driven through the instrumentality of the pulley 8 that has trained thereabout a belt 29, the latter being also trained about a pulley secured to a shaft 31 that is provided with a further pulley 32 having trained thereabout a belt 33 which is likewise trained about the power pulley of the tractor A.

The frame is reinforced by vertically arranged bars 3a that are provided with heads at their lower ends and the upper ends may have threadedly secured thereto nuts, or if desired, the rods maybe permanently fixed so as to insure a rigid construction as will be apparent.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of my invention will be readily apparent.

I desire it to be understood that I may make changes in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An agricultural machine comprising a frame, means for securing the frame to a propelling means, ground penetrating members having means for rotating the same from the propelling means and carried by said frame, means to allow for vertical movement of said ground penetrating means, shanks for said ground penetrating means, universal joints having connection with said shanks to allow for lateral, rearward and forward movement of said ground penetrating means, and means for manually moving the ground penetrating means through the medium of the shanks and carried by the latter.

2.v An agricultural machine comprising a frame, means for securing the frame to a propelling means, ground penetrating means mounted for rotation and carried by the frame, means for rotating the ground penetrating means from the propelling means, means to allow for vertical, forward, rearward and lateral movement of the ground penetrating means, and hand gripping means below the'means for allowing the vertical, forward, rearward and lateral movement of the ground penetrating means for manually moving the latter with respect to a row of crop.

3. A vegetation chopper comprising a frame having connection with a tractor, side pieces included in said frame, a shaft journaled on said side pieces, a pulley formed with said shaft, bevel gears formed with said pulley, stub shafts journaled in said frame, pinions for said stub shafts and meshing with the bevel gears, intermediate shafts, universal joints connecting the intermediate shafts to the stub shafts, shanks having connection with the universal joints, coil spring included in the last mentioned connection, and surroundmovable in ing the intermediate shafts, collars secured to said shanks, and gripping sleeves supported by said collars and surrounding said shanks, means for allowing vertical movement of said shanks against the tension of the coil springs, and ground penetrating members secured to the lower ends of said shanks.

4. A vegetation chopper comprising a frame including side pieces having connection with a tractor, a shaft journaled on the side pieces, a cross member transversely arranged in'said frame and secured to said side pieces, stub shafts j ournaled on said cross member, pinions secured to said stub shafts, bevel gears secured to the shaft first mentioned and meshing with the pinions, means for rotating the shaft first mentioned from the tractor, intermediate shafts, universal joints between the intermediate shafts and stub shafts, cylinders surrounding the intermediate shafts and being provided with diametrically oppositely disposed vertically arranged slots, heads secured to the intermedi ate shafts, lugs formed with said heads and said slots, caps for said cylinders, coil springs between the heads and upper caps of said cylinders, shanks, heads formed with said shanks and arranged with said cylinders, ground penetrating members secured to the lower ends of said shanks, and means for controlling the ground penetrating members with respect to rows of growing crops.

JAMES MILLEN. 

